Problem with British Gas

travel_freak

Hi there,

Today British Gas were supposed to come between 8am and 1pm to decommission a boiler. Basically it's a card meter and they were supposed to "wipe" it of old occupier's details and put my details on so I can charge the card and have gas (which I need in order to check my boiler which is leaking at the mo).

There's currently no gas and therefore no heating. I sat there freezing for the full 5 hours but no-one turned up and there was no phone call to say why.

When I was able to ring BG later on they fobbed me off on hold for almost an hour. They told me the visit was never guaranteed to be between 8am and 1pm and in fact it could have been any time up until 10pm and I should have been told that. I wasnt told that at all I was told 8 to 1 and the property is empty at the moment without heating (or furniture!) so it was really inconvenient to even be there for 5 hours today.

I've tried repeatedly to get through to a manager at BG to make a complaint and get this sorted but the operators will not put me through and say I can wait for a call back taking anywhere between 24 and 48 hours, or I can write to complain. They say the visits are not dealt with by them and they can't control when they happen. I've waited several hours now for a call back!

Anyone know of a way of getting to speak to someone senior at BG or any tips for sorting this out quickly so I can gave gas?

Many thanks.

Nile

Hello travel_freak

I'll move your thread to 'The (Consumer) Vent' board.

Hi, Martin’s asked me to post this in these circumstances: I’ve asked Board Guides to move threads if they’ll receive a better response elsewhere(please see this rule) so this post/thread has been moved to another board, where it should get more replies. If you have any questions about this policy please email [EMAIL="abuse@moneysavingexpert.com"]abuse@moneysavingexpert.com[/EMAIL].

Regards

Nile

Morglin

There is another thread about BG and their response to phone calls...........and it seems none of us have managed to find a way to get BG to do what they are supposed to do and to provide some sort of customer service. :mad: :mad:

Good luck with them.

Lin;)

joey_2

I do feel for you, I am going through similar at the moment. I arranged twice for my gas and electric meters to be put in , waited in all morn last Thurs and the Tues before. When I phoned up - the first time I was told they didn't know why no-one had come out and re-arranged it, the 2nd time they apparently had no record of me EVER phoning them.

Morglin

They are totally useless, and their call centre staff must be on a wind up........:eek: :mad:

travel_freak

Thanks for the replies, at least it's reassuring to know I'm not alone!!

Good luck to everyone else. I'm still waiting!

smcaul

I had a missed call from them as well - ended up with them sending me a cheque for £225 as a gesture of goodwill - have just tried to find the name and number of the call ctr manager, but must have binned it. i got no where with the call ctr staff, ended up getting the address off of them, then tried to get the reception desk number, but this is not listed, however, there is a gas museum next door to the call ctr, so called them, nice man there gave me the number for the reception desk, from there managed to get through to a senior manager - was appauled at the nonsense the call ctr staff speak and the lies they tell - keep plugging on, if the names and numbers turn up (I will have a trawl through some old emails) then I will post them.

travel_freak

Hi Smcaul,

Thanks for your helpful reply.

I'd be really grateful for the numbers if you come across them.

How did you manage to receive so much compensation? When I was last on the phone they told me they "might" be able to arrange £20 compensation if they could find that the job (i.e. call out) had been booked on their system. They then stuck me on hold for an eternity and said they had no record of me or the job!!!! Lost for words and fuming!

Does anyone know whether I can just arrange to switch instead to another supplier to solve these problems?

The electricity at the flat is with Southern Electric and they were brilliant - I could speak to someone and they came out next day and when they said they would - early in fact.

At the moment there is a gas card prepayment meter. I've just bought the flat and there are letters at the flat to the last owner about debt so I assume the meter has debts on it which may be why BG are being difficult but as a new owner the last person's debt should not affect me.

In these circumstances can I just switch to avoid the problems with BG does anyone know? BG told me they would have to send some one out first of all to "decommission" the meter - by which they said they meant wiping off the old person's details and giving me a new card.

It's so inconvenient as I've been doing works at the flat over the last few days and it's been absolutely freezing and no hot water even to wash hands and do basic cleaning of the kitchen.

Thanks again.
Regards,

Somerset

travel freak

Was in exactly the same position as you. Bought a flat which was a repo. The other 3 flats in house are with Edf but for some reason mine was with B Gas. They said they had to 'reset' the meter and an appointment was arranged 8 - 5. At 7pm ( after I'd left ) the engineer rang from outside the flat. He basically said B Gas were crap, had given me the wrong hours and to ring HIS company ( which acts for many utility/readings ) to rearrange. I did and he came/was a nice guy. He gave me a 'key' because he said the one B Gas had said they would send me, wouldn't turn up - it didn't.
Main point, I wanted to switch as well but apparently it takes a month ( per B Gas ) and as I needed power to work on the flat I couldn't afford to write off a month waiting. The next battle will be to switch from a pre-pay meter ! Btw I got no compo whatsoever.

Good Luck

smcaul

I just told them I am self employed and having to waste another day waiting at home was going to cost me a days earnings - you should be able to do the same if you are employed and have to take a days unpaid leave - just keep plugging away - still havent managed to find the names/numbers I'm afraid. It did take me a few hours on the phone to get what I did, but after being lied to by the teenagers they employ I was not about to let the matter drop.

Morglin

My daughters new card (allegedly the 3rd one they had sent), finally arrived 9 days after they "decommissioned the meter", took the previous resident's card and told my daughter she would get a new card the next day.:mad: :mad:

They lied on every phone call, it was impossible to ever get to speak to a manager, and we only got some emergency gas put on for her when my husband reminded them that she had 4 very young children, and that he was just going to phone the newspapers as it was nearly Christmas, she had no heat, cooking or hot water, and this would make a "lovely" human interest story for them.......:eek: :eek: ..........that finally got some action, although they told her that Transco may well turn up overnight to put gas on and that she should perhaps sit up all night, as Transco wouldn't knock if her lights weren't on..........:eek: :eek: :eek:

What planet are these fools on?:mad:

After all that, they didn't turn up until 8.30 the next morning - 20 hours after we phoned and way beyond the 4 hours maximum wait they promised.:mad:

Anyway, although she now has a card, she has arranged to change supplier this week, and go onto a normal quarterly meter, thank goodness.:j

Lin